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Keeping King's Chapel's members and friends connected each week while we are Physically Closed but Spiritually Open.
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Blue Christmas Service
Wednesday, December 16
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This year, perhaps more than any other in recent memory, many of us face the Christmas holidays with trepidation and fear of the unknown. The truth is that very few of us face this season with unbroken joy. We may be grieving, worried for ourselves or others, or feeling lonely in a season of unremitting glee. Our Blue Christmas service offers a time and place when we can set aside any pretense of being "merry" and find God's love for us, just the way we are.
The annual Blue Christmas service is simple and small. This year we will offer the service via YouTube, which will be posted on Wednesday, December 16 at 4 PM. The contemplative service includes a familiar carol, "In the Bleak Midwinter," brief readings, and a time to light candles, all to honor the truth of what we're feeling. With this quiet gesture we also can ask God to bring some flicker of warmth and light within us, those about whom we worry, or our world. All are welcome.
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In a few days we'll arrive at Gaudete Sunday, so named for first Latin word of a traditional chant sung on this day: rejoice! On this Sunday we'll light the rose-colored candle of our Advent wreath and rejoice, even as we continue our journey through the darkness of Advent to the light of Christmas. This week I've been abiding with "The Darkling Thrush," a poem written at the turn of the century by Thomas Hardy. It begins in bleak midwinter, "When Frost was spectre-grey, / And Winter's dregs made desolate / The weakening eye of day." But even in this darkness and desolation, there comes a voice:
At once a voice arose among
The bleak twigs overhead
In a full-hearted evensong
Of joy illimited;
An aged thrush, frail, gaunt, and small,
In blast-beruffled plume,
Had chosen thus to fling his soul
Upon the growing gloom.
So little cause for carolings
Of such ecstatic sound
Was written on terrestrial things
Afar or nigh around,
That I could think there trembled through
His happy good-night air
Some blessed Hope, whereof he knew
And I was unaware.
Some blessed Hope.... Of course, we await the Hope who arrives at Christmas, but how to we stoke the embers of hope within us while we wait? What, in our waiting, speaks to us of joy illimited? Perhaps it's the sun making an unexpected appearance, or the twinkling of the lights on our Christmas tree. Perhaps it's the reappearance of a long-absent friend, or the stirrings of new love. Perhaps, dear friends, we've been to the dentist and emerged unscathed, or the plumber has come and unclogging the sink has cost less than we thought! Our intimations of joy may be simple or profound, extraordinary or quotidian. Ours in this season of waiting is to watch for them, to listen for them, that they might kindle in us that spark of the divine--that grace promised to each one of us.
In faith and love, David
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Celebrate Christmas with King's Chapel! We are assembling our popular Lessons and Carols Christmas Eve service as a beautiful worship video and our Christmas Day service will take place live on Zoom. More details to come in next week's issue of Between Sundays.
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 Advent Reflection Group
In the darkness of this season, how do we find hope, peace, joy and love? Fifteen of us have reflected on this during the informal Advent Reflection group that gathers by Zoom each Monday, 5-6 PM. Please drop by and join us. In the last two weeks we lit a candle in the darkness, read poetry by Maya Angelou, and sang an Advent hymn. We spoke of how we are trying to slow down, grow in hope, and notice the Holy among us. Poet Angelou counseled us to lower the "rifle" from our shoulders and to discover that "we are the miraculous, the true wonder of this world," with power sufficient to bring peace to this planet. That is a "brave and startling truth" to acknowledge.
In the next two weeks we'll explore "Joy" and "Love", the themes for the third and fourth weeks of Advent. When you register here, you'll receive the Zoom link from us in your email. Bring the Advent booklet you received from King's Chapel, or download one from our Advent Webpage here. There you'll also find more relevant readings and hymns.
In Hope and Peace, Joy
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Give Hope by Supporting our Community Partners
Over Advent we encourage you to support one (or more!) of our community partners. Check out our blog post to see the complete list of how you can give hope this Christmas by supporting the Unitarian Universalist Urban Ministry, common cathedral, or the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute.
For example, you can help our community partner - the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute - support incarcerated men recently released successfully re-integrate themselves back into the community.
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 The Peace Institute is seeking donations to help cover the cost of a re-entry kit, backpacks filled with sundry items such as masks, toiletries, and other items that will be of immediate need.
The cost of each backpack is $20. If you are able to help, please send a check of any amount made out to King's Chapel by Sunday, December 20th. In the memo line include "LDBPI ReEntry Kits." We will then collectively pool the donations to provide one or more backpacks!
For more information, you can download a flyer for the re-entry kit program here the LDBPI's statement of purpose for this program here.
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 King's Chapel via Zoom
As King's Chapel continues to be physically closed, we are still learning of the best way to engage you, our members and friends. Many of you have viewed our Morning Prayer and music productions on YouTube. We are grateful to you for following us.
Another way that we have been bringing services and events to you is via Zoom. Many of you come to us each Sunday at 9 AM for our live Morning Light service. Many of you joined us for our Homecoming viewing and the coffee hour which followed after, or weekly Conversations with the History Program. The Zoom platform allows us to be interactive, in a way that the video productions do not, and thus we anticipate using this platform more through the coming months and would like to make it easier for you to access.
Beginning immediately, you will need to register for all services and most of the events that we offer through Zoom. This allows for a one-step process to retrieve the link, rather than you having to go through a staff person for the Zoom link. The registration link will be included in announcements for the service, meeting or event, and you need only click on the indicated link to get to the registration page. Once you register, a separate email will be sent to you from the Zoom account, which will provide the specific link for that service, meeting or event. You can also find the registration link by going to the King's Chapel calendar on our website.
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 From the Environmental Action Initiative: Save the Date!
Rev. Fred Small will be our guest preacher on Sunday, January 10, and he will be leading a workshop (register here) for King's Chapel members on Sunday, January 24 from 1-3 PM. A Unitarian Universalist pastor, singer-songwriter, and former environmental lawyer, Rev. Fred Small is Executive Director of Massachusetts Interfaith Power & Light, which mobilizes people of faith as climate activists. He also serves as Minister for Climate Justice at Arlington Street Church, Boston. |
 Theology on Tap
Our Theology on Tap will resume next month on Wednesday, January 20. We'll share the registration link to join closer to that time.
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Third Week of Advent Sunday Services
December 13, Morning Light | 9 AM on Zoom
- The Rev. Joy Fallon, Senior Minister
- David Waters, Minister for Education and Membership
- Skip Lewan, Piano
- Paula O'Keefe, Lector
- The Wellington Family, Advent Wreath Lighters
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December 13, Morning Prayer | 11 AM on YouTube
Scripture:
Luke 1:46 - 55
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
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Did you miss last Sunday's service? If so, click here to see the full service. |
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This Sunday, Sam Rosner will treat you to the aria Every Valley from Handel's
Messiah. You will also hear organ chorale preludes on
Savior of the Nations by Bach & Buxtehude, as well as of course week 3 of O Come, Emmanuel and the festive
The finale of Talk About Music this coming Tuesday 12/15 will be a very special edition of Talk About Music I Love. You are invited to tell us about your favorite Christmas carol and why you love it. Email Heinrich for the Zoom link to join us!
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Giving to King's Chapel
Please consider a stewardship offering in a spirit of thanksgiving to help us through this challenging time. Every single gift in any amount is equally valued and helps enormously.
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Staying Connected with King's Chapel
While we are physically closed we are spiritually open and are working to find ways to continue our connection with you, our beloved members and friends.
Worship Morning Light Worship via Zoom, 9-9:30 AM each Sunday. Contact Laura Zeugner for login information.
Morning Prayer services are posted each Sunday at 11 AM on our website.
Prayer Connection King's Chapel is a praying church and we have added a new link to our website page to make easy any request you may have: prayerrequest@kings-chapel.org . Requests sent here will be received by Joy Fallon, David Waters, and Cynthia Perkins, Prayer Circle Chair. If you prefer, also know that you can always reach out to any of us individually.
Coffee with Clergy Join Joy and David each week at 10 AM on Thursdays for an informal coffee hour via Zoom. See old friends and meet new ones! Contact Laura for login access. |
Internet Fraud - Protect Yourself
During the COVID-19 Pandemic, churches across the nation have seen a steep rise in incidents of internet fraud and scams, especially using ministers' names and targeting church members. Please watch out for these. I promise, we will never ask you to send us gift cards. We will never ask for your personal identifying information or bank account info. If we ever purport to say that we can't be reached by phone, be suspicious.
Some other hints to protect yourselves: Double check the "from" address to see who really has sent it, and double check the email of the person to whom you're supposedly replying. Verify suspicious emails by phone, especially if the email says not to call. Click the link below for more information on how to protect yourself and your family from internet crime.
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Contributing to Between Sundays
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Advent Reflection Group
Monday, December 14 at 5:00 PM
Please register here to join and visit our Advent webpage to download our Advent devotional. |
Talk About Music!
Tuesday, December 15 at 12:00 PM
Join Heinrich for the last session of the year!
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KC Kids Time
Tuesday, December 15 at 7:00 PM
For more information email David.
Blue Christmas Service
Wednesday, December 16 at 4:00 PM
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Bible Study
Wednesday, December 16 at 6:15 PM
Coffee with Clergy
Thursday, December 17 at 10:00 AM
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 Meet the Rev. David H. Messner!
This week, we are delighted to share a little about one of our new members, Rev. David Messner:
Rev. David H. Messner is currently the interim minister of the Unitarian Church in Charleston, the Mother Church of Southern Unitarianism He's a born and bred Unitarian, a devout humanist with faith in God, and a belief in resurgent possibility--especially when all seems lost. He knows that church done right can become indispensable to a life well-lived. His ministry is rooted in preaching, teaching, writing, and coaching toward collective liberation and individual fulfillment. He is currently completing his Ph.D. at Emory University in religion with a focus on ethics and society. His scholarly interests include the way institutions, their structures, and their practices can be conducive to good moral choice and action. He serves as President of the Southeast Region of the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association and as a Board Member of The Mountain Retreat and Learning Center in Highlands, NC. He was born in Washington D.C. and now lives on Skidaway Island, Georgia with his wife of 24 years, two wonderful teenagers and a Blue Heeler pup that just won't quit.
Welcome to the King's Chapel Family, David!
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Join the King's Chapel History Program this holiday season for new content each Friday exploring different aspects of Christmas history and traditions! As we each prepare to spend the holiday season from home, the weekly themes will include both history posts and activities to engage with from home. Last Friday we debuted our Decking the Halls webpage featuring the history of decorating with greens and the Christmas tree. For those who missed last week's Christmas program on Zoom, you can also watch the recording here.
Visit our "Home for the Holidays" webpage to learn more and follow us on social media (@kingschapel1686)!
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Did you know...The earliest known image of Christmas decor at King's Chapel appeared in an 1856 edition of Ballou's Pictorial Drawing-Room Companion, accompanied by an article about the church's history. Of the illustration, pictured here, the article boasts:
"We present below a fine interior view of King's Chapel, at the corner of School and Tremont Streets, Boston, as it appeared during the Christmas holidays, in its beautiful garniture of green. The wreaths, the festoons, and, indeed, all the decorations, are most tastefully arranged, and harmonize with the architecture. The King's Chapel has always been noted for the beauty of its Christmas decorations."
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 Last Sunday's Coffee Hour
Eleven King's Chapel members gathered on Zoom last Sunday for the inaugural First Sunday Coffee Hour, a new event slated to take place the first Sunday of every month. Former Hospitality Chair Gregg Sorensen returned to service to host. The group broke up into three breakout rooms for more intimate conversation, sharing the latest news or reminiscing about past King's Chapel Christmases. One enthusiastic participant summed up the experience: "This was great! I really miss seeing everyone and it means a lot to get together like this."
Our next First Sunday Coffee Hour will take place on Sunday, January 3 at noon.
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We rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. ~Romans 12:15
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We mourn with Amanda Pickett for the death of her mother's first husband, Robert Rittner. The burial takes place tomorrow in Connecticut, and his obituary can be found here.
We mourn receiving the news that former choir member Pamela Gore has passed away. Pam had a notable career as a contralto, performing and recording with many distinguished groups, but continued to sing faithfully with Dan Pinkham all the way to his retirement, driving down from her home in Exeter, NH every Sunday morning. We will remember Pam with gratitude every time we have occasion to use her beautiful grand piano which now resides in the Parish House parlor. Her obituary is here.
We rejoice with Kent and Becky Wittenburg as they celebrate her birthday today! We are so glad that they have joined our King's Chapel community.
We rejoice with Peter Sexton's commitment to interfaith learning. He recommends the following:
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Celebrate Christmas with King's Chapel
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Follow us on social media!
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